


Glass and Steel

by nattoppet_dj



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Abduction, Brainwashing, Drugs, M/M, References to Glamour Springs, Stockholm Syndrome, Trauma, sedatives, unhealthy eating habits, will tag more later as i write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 09:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13855035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nattoppet_dj/pseuds/nattoppet_dj
Summary: When Lup and Taako have a fight, Taako finds himself having a strangely good day afterwards, and then a strangely good week. Then a strangely good life.Lup looks for her brother.





	Glass and Steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> n.  
> The intense feeling of being at the brink of an epiphany.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special thanks to eden for being my beta for this, and for being interested in helping with this story!  
> and another thanks to my good friend cecil for helping me with magnus' dialogue  
> updates will be a lil slow but i have an end in mind for this story

The moment between waking up and slumber is a strange suspension, a static sort of consciousness that leaves one in limbo. The temptation to slip back under is strong, warm and comforting like it always is, but Taako knows he has to get up some time. Somewhere in the back of his mind reminds him of this. It's louder than usual, though he doesn't know why. The elf almost doesn't bother summoning up enough cognitive thought to answer that.

Something happened. Is going to happen? He's not quite sure what the foreign alarm is in his head but it urges the wizard to rouse.

The bed is large, of course it is. The silky duvet drapes over his hips in a smooth elegance that makes Taako sigh as he stretches out, popping a few joints along the way. What is he missing? Hmm... Oh, something about school.

"Hey anyone home?" Taako calls out, seeing if any of the Reapers he resides with are present. No one seems to hear him, and he shrugs. Busy workload, most likely. It's natural. He looks at the clock and groans.

Taako's going to be late to teach his own class if he doesn't hustle. The elf stands and sways for a moment, a ghastly feeling overcoming him and he grips his head. "Oofa doofa, I don't remember earning you last night, buddy," Taako mutters. There’s a strange throbbing storm in his head that makes the elf’s vision swim slightly for a few moments. Black out, perhaps? No recollection of going to any bars, so either it hasn't come back yet or he forgot. That makes the elf frown though and starts to get ready for the day with a fuzzy head.

Taako has the occasional slip-up, memory-wise, which is to be expected after Fisher's influence, but it's happened more frequently than the elf wants to admit. Grasping at names in thin air. Forgetting who's in the Inner Circle for a few terrifying moments. Mistaking current scenarios as parts of cycles and falling in flashbacks. That sort of thing. Taako hides it best he can. No one needs to fawn over him unnecessarily-- Lup is the biggest offender, naturally, she knows when he's in an episode. The thought disperses like a reflection rippling in water as he changes and walks out into the rest of the house.

He can smell food, and hears music playing down the hall. Curious.

Lup is there, in all her radiance, at the stove cooking something up. He sighs out a breath of relief and moves to drape over her.

"What's cookin'?"

Lup doesn't turn to face him as she folds an omelette in the pan. "Breakfast," she replies simply. 

Taako rolls his eyes and snorts before slipping off to put his shoes on. "Alright, smartass," he mutters light-heartedly, earning a laugh from her direction as he flicks his hand, making the shoelaces tie up magically.

"You slept for forever, you feeling alright?" his twin asks, prepping something at the counter with a snap and picks up a small container with the omelete and some roasted potatoes inside. Lup takes it to Taako as he’s pulling on a large jacket for outside.

"Fine and dandy, homie, just uh-- groggy, really." He takes up the container and puts it in his bag, strapped over his shoulder as he opens the door. "Thanks for the food, I'll see you later, Lu."

Lup smiles and kisses him on the cheek before he ducks out to brace for the spring chill, and he’s a little surprised by the lack of wind today. It's sunny and cool, and Taako makes his way to the academy in no time. Perfectly on time, to be specific. Huh. 

\--

Taako notes that the omelete is decent, but lacks the usual amount of spice Lup puts in it. He was in a rush, it's understandable. The thought leaves him as soon as it comes. Unimportant. He has a class to fucking teach. Taako sets the now empty container into his bag and walks into the lecturing hall with all the flare and panache he can muster; which to say is a fucking lot.

“Alright Taako’s present, everyone here?” he announces, surveying the room with a careful gaze. “Good, now let’s talk about the homework you were supposed to finish.” The class does a collective groan, tearing a sharp laugh out of the elf as he raises his teaching wand-- yes, his teaching wand, and flips everyone’s pages according to the lesson, starting them off.

The tapestries on the wall glow in the morning sunlight, and even if they’re in Neverwinter, it’s surprisingly bright outside. A good day for a picnic. He’ll have to convince Kravitz to come on by for a little date while the weather lasts. There are little questions today, and despite the rowdiness that comes with the class everyone is fairly tame. A good rarity in Taako’s book. 

He wastes no time at all in getting to the dirty details, pointing to a mousey girl near the middle. “What are the components to the spell Levitation without a focus?” he shoots. 

“Either a small leather loop or a piece of golden wire bent into a cup shape with a long shank on one end,” the girl replies immediately, impressing Taako.

“...Not bad. Someone’s been doing their homework,” he muses, thinking of a slightly harder spell they would have covered over before with a tap of the wand to his chin. “What about the spell Magic Missile?”

“Trick question; it needs no components, Mister Taako, sir,” a young tiefling chirps. Taako nods approvingly, and goes to someone that isn’t paying attention too much that looks bored out of their minds. A small human boy, actually. One that reminds Taako of Angus, if he was in his class.

“What about you, darling? Can you tell me the components needed for the spell Sleep?” he asks, and the boy sits up straighter and murmurs a slow, “...A pinch of fine sand, rose petals, or a cricket.” Again, Taako is more than a little shocked, considering how accurate his students are being. No matter, he goes on with the lesson, explaining the importance in components, especially for stronger spells. A good focus helps with that, and it helps in the same way to channel the magic used for these sort of spells. 

In the back of Taako’s mind he feels something is terribly off, but so far everything’s been… surprisingly smooth. Great, even. Convenient. Taako knows he always feels like something good is a gateway to something terrible happening, like a calm before the storm. He’s always wary of a good day, but months of normalcy has helped dampen the urge to analyze. Lup and the rest of his inner circle have helped beaten down the suspicion that comes naturally to him in good times.

Taako’s gotten soft. He sighs quietly, having time to think on this as the class focuses on their worksheets and relax, giving the elf time to refresh as well. He’s looking over his usual notes, and sure the lines are blurring together and he’s bored out of his skull now, but usually it isn’t until he hits near the end of the lecture to feel so tired. His eyes are starting to droop, the words dancing across the page without his consent, and honestly how rude is that? They shift under his wavering vision, like oil on a pan, bubbling and sizzling and shifting ever so slightly.

Like the breakfast that he had made with Lup yesterday before he went to the school. An omelette, actually. They… they had…. 

Something happened, he’s remembering. He remembers being upset, but not why. Not right now, at least.

Before he can think more coherently on that line, Taako’s head dips down and rests onto the dancing words slowly. Just a little nap… The taste of the sweet omelette this morning lingers on his tongue, and isn’t it curious, how it lacked spices, but it was still sweet.

Taako stops pondering, slumping in his chair.

\--

Lup has never been one for drawn-out fights. They’re tiring and useless. She prefers action, and now. So when she is left with the dilemma of calling up Taako to check on him, and waiting it out, she instead dials up someone entirely different. Maybe…. She needs a second opinion on this before going headlong into this. Taako might just need time to respond. Even if it’s been a whole day and a half since they’ve seen each other.

She rubs over the rune on the Stone of Farspeech to connect to a familiar frequency, taking a deep breath to prepare herself.

“Hey Lup, what’s up?” the friendly voice of the fighter greets.

 

"Sup, big guy. Can... I talk to you about something?" Lup sighs softly in relief. At least Magnus answered right away. She leans against the kitchen counter with a finger wrapping around a thick lock idly. She shouldn’t be surprised when he immediately answers. 

"Yeah, of course. Something wrong?"

Lup purses her lips, then sucks in a breath through her teeth. "Yeahhhh, sorta. Got into a little bit of a scuffle with the bro-bro--" She settles in. Time to get down to the dirty. "I'm going to be frank with you, babe, Taako's been acting weird. And since you were with him during the BoB days maybe he told you something about it."

"Weird how? It’s kinda been a while since I've seen him, y’know?" Magnus hums, the tone in his voice laced with genuine concern. She sighs against the stone, and pops her lips. It takes a moment, a little bit of mulling over, to think of how to summarize all of what happened. 

"Well, Magsters, it's sort of stupid, honestly, but you know how Taako can be at times," she jokes, chuckling. "He's.... been acting sort of weird lately. With cooking-- food. How long has he been like this? Do you know?"

There’s a short pause, then a thoughtful noise. The wait makes her neck prickle but she shrugs it off. 

"Weird like... What?” Magnus starts, voice crackling through the stone with a sigh. “He didn't really love... _cooking_ for us while we were doing the whole Bureau business... I figured after being on the road with his show so long, he was just tired of it." Lup takes a beat to register this and straightens.

 

"We've cooked for all of you for a hundred years, it makes no sense he'd just. Stop." Lup frowns, and clicks her tongue.

Something is definitely wrong.

A critical detail Taako hadn't told the boys, hadn’t told anyone. Hadn’t told her. "You said he had a show? When? He never told me about it." _Taako never kept anything from his twin._

Magnus takes another pause, and for a moment the elf thinks he’s hung up. His voice goes soft, hesitant almost. 

"I mean... I don’t know the, uh, _details._ I just heard this going around as rumors. Taako had a stagecoach for a few years, I think. He got famous, I remember seeing him at Ravens Roost once.

“Some time before Merle, Taako, and I met up… he-- Taako, he stopped traveling suddenly ‘cause a show in Glamour Springs went bad.” He makes a soft noise, and Lup’s ears prick up. “Like.... Really, really bad. I-- I kept getting different details, so I don’t know what's true and what isn't.”

“Well,” Lup starts, “what was the most common theme? You'd be a great help to this big ol' mystery," she hums, flicking the hair off her finger to go for pacing instead. As she meanders around the kitchen, the fighter sighs heavily.

"I heard that a lot of people died after one of the shows. I mean-- again, I don't know what’s true and what isn't. Things get exaggerated,” he admits. “But that’s what I heard most."

Lup sucks in a sharp breath. "I’m sorry but did you say people died because of _Taako_?? Babe, I hope you're wrong, because no way is my baby bro a _killer_." 

"That’s assuming-- Well, that’s assuming that’s even _accurate_ \--" he stumbles, stopping himself.

She moves to sit down at the table instead, setting the stone down onto the table to steeple her fingers thoughtfully. She knew he was a bit cruel and more pragmatic without her during the time they all lost their memories but…. Never _this_ heartless. Then again… seeing Taako shaken, looking ill and terrified-- trying hard to hide it….

"It's _got_ to be an accident."

"It... _has_ to be an accident,” Magnus agrees immediately. “I spent over a century with him too- Doubt I'll ever know Taako like you but I know Taako. He wouldn't randomly poison tens of people on purpose--"

 

Before she could answer to that, the distinct tear of reality echoes from the hall, and Lup mutters a hurried, “Shit,” before hanging up suddenly. She’ll deal with all of these feelings later.

Kravitz comes in with a weary posture, hair mussed up. The mantle of his cloak is limp and mangled, but the Reaper is whole-- if only a little scraped up. She watches him a moment before announcing her presence.

“Sup, Ghost Rider?” The look on the man’s face is priceless as he jumps, skin dissipating in his shock in an instant. Lup laughs, and even without a face, Kravitz manages to look unamused.

“Lup, I didn’t see you were home,” he comments, once he’s forced himself to relax. Lup wipes at an eye and smirks.

“Put your eyes back on, Skeletor,” she teases, which prompts a sputtering from the elder reaper. She watches the flesh weave back magically over his skull and whistles, grinning like a cat when he frowns. The amused glimmer in his eyes give him away, however. “There’s the face we know and love! So…” Lipsmack. 

“So,” Kravitz parrots, straightening up a little as he makes his way to the table. Lup pockets the stone with a fluid motion and takes up a previously abandoned muffin on the table to munch on. The reaper waits for her to finish with the bite before she’s pointing to him, muffin down once more.

“I’ve got a few questions for you about some deaths,” she proposes, straight to the point.

Kravitz frowns in confusion, and she continues with a hardened stare, lacing long fingers together as she leans forward. “I want to see what you might know about a li’l incident a few years ago.” Lup’s voice lowers dangerously. 

“Kravitz, what do you know about Glamour Springs?”

**Author's Note:**

> first ever fic on here, first i've posted in years. this has been in my brain for months  
> jigs  
> hope you enjoy!


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